Saving Shinigami SideFic: Duo and Wufei
by ShinigamiPhoenix
Summary: Duo and Wufei get a bit closer while Heero's away on his mission. sucky summary, but it's kinda important to the actual story
1. Default Chapter

Notes: I am really sorry I haven't updated in so long, but real life and my other fandoms kinda overwhelmed me. The next chapter of Saving Shinigami and the follow-up chapter to this should be up in a few of days.   
  
This is what happens to Wufei and Duo when Heero's on his mission. Angst and sap ahead, so be warned! This is actually part of the fic but is labelled as a sidefic because I don't want to interrupt the Heero POV I've got going. Oh, and I have no idea when Wufei's birthday is, I just borrowed my sister's because it's a nice date. Enjoy and review!   
  
Duo sighed, resisting the urge to throw the remote across the room and shatter the TV screen with it.  
  
He missed Heero.  
  
He missed Heero's embrace and Heero's kisses, he missed Heero's warmth and Heero's security. He missed Heero.  
  
He felt cold and shaky; nervous. He could feel dark thoughts pressing at the edge of his mind, could feel horrific memories pushing at his psyche.  
  
Rivers of blood... pain-filled screams... blackened flesh... salty tears... a singed blue ribbon, a shattered glass figurine, a broken doll. All of it destroyed by him, by his bloodstained hands. Brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers, all of them had been killed by him. They had fallen to Shinigami.  
  
Duo's breath hitched and he repressed a sob, his body trembling with unshed tears. He let the remote fall from his fingers and drew his legs up, hugging his knees to his chest.   
  
He wanted Heero. He needed Heero. Heero wasn't there.  
  
Warm, wet tears splashed onto his cheeks and he buried his face in his knees, huge shudders running through his body.   
  
Wufei grimaced as he watched Duo cry, his heart breaking just a little more with each little hiccuping sob that escaped the American. Every fibre of his being wanted to go to him, to hold him and comfort him, but he hesitated, not wanting to be rejected.   
  
Then he remembered how Duo had clung to him last night, how he had wrapped his body around the Chinese teen's. He had accepted from Wufei what he normally took from Heero. Surely this time would be no different?   
  
Taking a deep breath, Wufei walked over and sat down next to Duo. He reached out and touched the braided boy's shoulder. When Duo didn't shy away from him, his courage built and he ran his hand along Duo's shoulders until he was half hugging him. A sob escaped Duo and he collapsed into Wufei's arms.  
  
Wufei closed his eyes and ran a hand down Duo's thick braid, clutching the end of it tightly in his fist. His other hand was rubbing circles on Duo's back.  
  
"It's going to be alright, Duo," he whispered, unsure of what else to say.  
  
"Make them stop, Fei," Duo whispered back, shifting a little to get closer to him. "Make them go away."   
  
"There's no one here, Duo. There's just you and me."  
  
"I didn't want to hurt them," Duo whimpered, and Wufei's heart wrenched painfully.  
  
"I know, Duo, I know."  
  
A sharp gasp made Wufei look behind him and he saw Quatre standing in the doorway, a mixture of sadness and surprise on his features. Then he sighed and walked over to brush Duo's bangs out of his face. Duo flinched at the touch and Quatre quickly dropped his hand.   
  
"I was hoping this wouldn't happen," he murmured, "But he's completely dependant on Heero. He's been acting so cheerful and relaxed, I almost missed the fact that I could sense he was still suffering."  
  
Wufei digested that for a moment and then asked quietly, "What can you sense from him now?"  
  
Quatre frowned and studied Duo's haunted face. "I can sense fear, sorrow, horror, guilt, everything I've unfortunately become accustomed to. He's fighting his own mind, Wufei, and he can't do it alone."  
  
"He's not alone!"   
  
Quatre smiled at Wufei's fierce and determined expression, noting how the Shenlong pilot's arms tightened around Duo.  
  
"Just make sure he remembers that," he said quietly before leaving.  
  
"F-Fei?" Duo whispered, and Wufei looked down to find Duo peeking at him through his bangs.  
  
"Yes, Duo?"  
  
"Heero's coming back, right?" Fear darkened Duo's amethyst eyes, and Wufei realised just how young Duo was. For all his worries and fears, all his skills and weapons, he was still just a scared fifteen year old boy.   
  
"Yes, Duo," Wufei whispered, attempting a smile, "Heero's coming back. You just have to be strong until then."  
  
"You.... Can I... lean on you? Just a little bit?"   
  
Wufei swallowed around a sudden lump in his throat and he was positive his heart had skipped a beat. Duo was reaching out to him, was daring to hope that he could trust Wufei. Wufei smiled broadly and kissed the top of Duo's head.  
  
"You can lean on me for as long as you like."  
  
Duo's smile was a bit wobbly and unsure, but it made Wufei's heart swell.  
  
They sat in silence for a few minutes until Duo shivered again. Wufei tensed, unsure and slightly afraid.  
  
"Talk to me, Fei," Duo whispered, and Wufei frowned, relaxing slightly.  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"I don't like silence. Talk to me, please."  
  
"Um.... What do you want me to say?"  
  
"Anything. When's your birthday."  
  
"May 28th."  
  
"What's your favourite colour?"  
  
"Dark blue."  
  
"How dark?"  
  
"Um... kind of like a dark sapphire, midnight blue, the colour of... Heero's eyes, actually."   
  
Duo smiled at that little bit of information, but didn't comment and just asked, "Favourite food?"  
  
Wufei blushed and mumbled something. Duo frowned and asked him to repeat it. Wufei sighed softly and said, "Your chicken stew."   
  
Duo blinked and then chuckled. "Really. My favourite food is chicken and rice, especially when Heero makes it. And my favourite colour is a bright, cerulean blue, sort of like Relena's eyes, actually. Hm, never noticed how similar her eyes were to his."  
  
Wufei frowned at that, not sure of who Duo was referring to, but let it go. "What's your favourite book?" he asked gently, and Wufei frowned, absently chewing his bottom lip as he thought about it. Wufei waited patiently, mildly surprised that Duo was thinking about the question so much.   
  
"I'd have to say anything by Edgar Allen Poe," he said after a while, "Specifically 'The Raven'."   
  
"Hm. 'Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary, Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore, While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping, As of someone gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.'"  
  
Duo looked up at him again, surprised and oddly pleased. "You've read it?"   
  
"Of course. He was a talented man. Very... strange, but talented nonetheless."   
  
"What's your favourite book?"  
  
"Hard to chose, but probably... Oliver Twist. What's Heero's?"   
  
"Doesn't have one," Duo grinned. "He doesn't 'have time to waste on a stupid thing like reading books when I have missions to plan, reports to write, research to do and databses to hack into, now let me work in peace, baka'."   
  
Wufei chuckled at Duo's imitation of Heero's voice, and they fell quiet again, Wufei still absently rubbing Duo's back.  
  
"I want some cocoa," Duo announced suddenly, standing up and pulling Wufei with him. Still holding Wufei's hand, he walked into the kitchen and very nearly collided with Trowa, who had just walked in the back door.  
  
Stumbling backwards, Duo cursed and automatically reached for his gun. He froze, fingertips brushing the butt of his Beretta.  
  
He blinked and a small voice in the back of his head pointed out what he had just done. He had been about to pull a weapon on his friend. For a split second, he had been ready to 'neutralise' what he perceived as a threat, whatever that involved. For just an instant, he had felt himself start to become Shinigami; he had taken a small step into that empty white place in his head where there was nothing, no emotions or sensations, just an empty static place where nothing existed. And he hadn't felt scared of that.  
  
"Duo," Wufei said quietly, giving the hand he still held a little squeeze. Duo blinked rapidly a few times and slowly turned to look at him. Wufei frowned, reading the confusion in his eyes.   
  
Duo licked his lips and took a deep breath. "I, uh... Do you want some hot chocolate?"   
  
Wufei smiled softly and nodded. "Sure." He glanced at Trowa and found the emerald-eyed pilot watching them with a raised eyebrow. Wufei shrugged and Trowa nodded before walking upstairs.  
  
They made the cocoa in silence and Wufei didn't comment on the faint trembling of Duo's hands. Gripping their mugs, they sat down at the kitchen table and Duo picked up a philosophy book that Wufei had left there. He flipped through the pages with a sceptical expression. After a while he snorted and let the book fall shut.  
  
"Dunno how you can read that shit," he mumbled into his mug.  
  
"It's interesting," Wufei replied, shrugging on shoulder.  
  
"Maybe, but most of it's about God and I don't believe in Him."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Well, yeah. I just never saw any proof that He existed as a kid; all I saw was blood and death, so the only God I could and do believe in is Shinigami."   
  
Wufei looked at Duo with sad eyes. It wasn't so much the actual words as the way Duo spoke them. He spoke as if hit should be obvious, his voice calm and empty. He spoke as if hit were just a meaningless fact that he could only believe in the God of Death.   
  
"I'm sorry," Wufei murmured and Duo frowned at him.  
  
"What for?"  
  
"The lack of happiness in your childhood."   
  
Duo grinned at him and waved a hand dismissivly. "Ah, it wasn't all bad. It had good moments and bad moments. Playing noughts and crosses with Solo was good. Learning to read with Father Maxwell was good. Listening to Sister Helen read fairy tales was good. Even training with G had its good moments; he used to give me lots of books to read and when I wasn't busy his assistants sometimes played games with me. Yeah the bad outweighed the good, but I take what I can get."   
  
"I admire that."  
  
Duo blushed and mumbled a thanks, taking a long gulp of his drink. Wufei smiled and sipped his own cocoa, thinking about what Duo had just said. 


	2. Chapter Two

Notes: This chapter is mainly about two things: Duo's hair, and Duo and Wufei's first kiss. It's a bit short, but I still like it, and I hope you do, too.   
  
This is dedicated to cyberdistroyer, though you've already had one dedication but what do I care? I think all your wonderful reviews and your support deserve two dedications. Enjoy and review!  
  
Wufei usually slept naked, but that didn't seem like such a good idea that night as he would be sleeping with Duo.   
  
He really should have realised that Duo wouldn't want to sleep alone but he hadn't, and when Duo tugged him towards the bed he shared with Heero, all he could do was blink at the American.  
  
After a moment, he gathered his wits and stripped down to his boxers, climbing into the bed. He watched as Duo sat on the edge, still wearing his jeans. He as fiddling with his braid and looked very nervous.  
  
Just when Wufei was about to ask if something was wrong, Duo pulled on the hairband and slipped it around his wrist. Wufei shut up and watched as Duo began to unbraid his hair. It fell around him in thick, silky waves, spilling over his shoulders and tumbling down his back.  
  
Biting his lip, Duo picked ups his brush and turned to face Wufei, a thick tendril of hair sliding against his bare shoulder to trail down his chest.  
  
"Will you brush it for me?" he asked in a hushed voice, and Wufei's heart skipped a beat. Slowly, he reached out and accepted the hairbrush, his fingers brushing Duo's as he did so.   
  
Moving to sit behind Duo, he began to brush Duo's long hair, gently working at the few tangles he found. It was soothing for them both, and Wufei continued brushing long after he needed to, dragging the brush through the waterfall of hair, amazed that his hair wasn't all one colour, it was a fusion of varying shades of brown, all shifting and bleeding together as the light hit it.  
  
"Heero should be in the building now," Duo whispered, and Wufei nodded, though Duo couldn't see it. The American sighed and leaned back, putting his back to Wufei's chest and resting his head on Wufei's shoulder.  
  
"I hope he's alright," he murmured, and Wufei finally discarded the brush to wrap his arms around the other boy.  
  
"He will be. It's an easy mission, very low-risk. The security is so small any of us could sneak in, but their computer security is another matter. He'll be fine, Duo."   
  
Duo took a deep breath and let it out in a deep sigh. "Yeah, I know. I'm just worried. Come on, let's get some sleep."  
  
Quickly braiding his hair, Duo pulled off his jeans and slipped under the thick quilt. Wufei laid down beside him and felt a thrill of pleasure run through his body when Duo immediately settled against his side, resting his head on Wufei's shoulder, one arm across his abdomen.  
  
"G'nigh, Fei," he mumbled sleepily, his eyes drifting shut.  
  
"Goodnight, Duo."  
  
They slept relatively peacefully, given the circumstances. Wufei had vague recollections of comforting Duo several times during the night, but nothing serious enough to fully wake him. Duo seemed surprised and very pleased of that. He didn't speak of his nightmares to anyone, but Wufei knew that they were always there, waiting just beneath the surface for one moment of weakness so that they could pounce and throw his mind into darkness.   
  
They woke just after five and dressed quietly. After only a moment's hesitation, Duo put on a gun, his Browning Hi-Power, wearing it in a holster at the small of his back, like Wufei did.   
  
Walking as quietly as possible, they went downstairs and into the kitchen, Duo flopping immediately into one of the chairs.  
  
"What would you like?" Wufei asked, smiling softly at the boneless way Duo was sprawled in the chair.  
  
"I'm not really hungry. A cup of coffee will be fine."   
  
"Duo, you have to eat something."  
  
"But-"  
  
"Duo."  
  
Duo sighed, realising that Duo was going to be just as stubborn about his eating habits as Heero was. "Fine. Cereal would be nice, please."  
  
Wufei smiled and made them both some Cornflakes. They ate in silence, partly so as not to wake Quatre and Trowa, and partly because they were both thinking about Heero.   
  
"Fei?" Duo asked, stirring his Cornflakes with his spook.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Did I ever thank you for everything you did yesterday?"   
  
Wufei smiled and got up to dump his bowl in the sink. "It's not like it was a chore."  
  
"But you didn't have to do it." There was an odd tone in Duo's voice that Wufei didn't understand, and when he turned around he found Duo watching him with intense violet eyes.  
  
"Yes, I did," he said simply, and Duo smiled.  
  
"I'm glad you're here, Fei," he said quietly. "I'm glad... you told me how you felt. It must've taken a lot of courage."  
  
Wufei quirked a wry grin and sat back down again, running a hand through his unbound hair.   
  
"I think I've been an idiot," Duo said suddenly, and Wufei frowned at him.  
  
"What makes you say that?"  
  
"Well... I didn't see, did I? I mean, all the signs were there and I just never saw them. There's all these little things that showed you cared about me and I just didn't see them, like that time you stayed up all night to help me fix Deathscythe's guidance system because I had a mission in the morning. Heero did the same sort of thing, though I reckon he didn't realise he was doing it, and I could see underneath his mask because I wanted to, and I thought I wanted to see under your mask but just couldn't, but... I can see through anyone. I don't think I wanted to see the real you because... I was afraid."  
  
"Why were you afraid? Wufei asked softly, and Duo sighed, staring at his hands where they lay on the table.  
  
"Because... if I saw the real you, I'd start to like you, love you, and I didn't want that, because you'd leave me, you'd hurt me and leave me and I'd be alone again. So I focused on Heero because I didn't think I stood a chance with him. But, being with Heero made me realise that sometimes, you have to take the risk. So I did, and... now I have you. Now I-I love you, and you love me, and I'm not alone."  
  
He said it, Wufei thought. He said he loved me. He loves me.   
  
Without knowing quite how he got there, Wufei found himself kneeling down beside Duo, his fingers brushing along the American's jaw. Duo looked at him, his amethyst eyes deep pools of fear and need.   
  
Slowly, Wufei leaned forward and brushed his lips against Duo's, ready to step back at the first sign of rejection. But Duo didn't pull away, didn't say no, he just leaned forward for a longer, deeper kiss that Wufei gave gladly. One hand cupped around the back of Duo's neck, the other on the back of the chair for support, Wufei slipped his tongue into Duo's mouth and tasted the American for the first time.   
  
They drew away slowly, reluctantly, both breathless and slightly dazed. Wufei licked his lips, savouring the taste, and Duo smiled at him.   
  
"I love you, Wufei Chang," he whispered almost solemnly, and Wufei smiled back at him.  
  
"I love you, too, Duo Maxwell." 


End file.
